When you plan a vacation, a weekend gateway, or a quick road trip – what’s the one thing that can put a damper on the excitement of the adventure? What’s the one thing that can take you from the excitement of expectant traveling to downright fury or disappointment in traveling? For me, traveling starts with planning, choosing a destination, and committing to the location, and from there, the build-up of excitement starts. Between the excitement of going away and getting to the destination, there are plenty of ways to lose sight of the joy of the adventure.

Race to the Airport: Panic

Getting to the mode of traveling can be one that causes anxiety, i.e., getting to the airport – once again, a reason for stress if the route and proper planning aren’t factored upfront. Are you Ubering to the airport, driving to the airport, or using public transit to get there? If you’ve ever been in a rush to get to the airport and run into traffic, parking, and worse, parking, shuttles, and buses taking time can all quickly damper the travel excitement.

Is packing an area of stress, especially if given to last-minute planning? As a woman, I can tell you from personal experience this takes some thought. Whether beach destination or city exploration, planning what to wear takes time and planning with limited space and for different styles. What to pack can be a time-consuming, thought-provoking endeavor, formal or casual? Party or loungewear? Then shoes and accessories are too much for this blog but can detract from the excitement of going away. Did you check the weather before packing? Is it raining? Will it be cold or warm or hot? Jacket, hiking boots – packing can be an area of stress that eats away at the excitement of traveling.

The Airport

What about navigating the airport? Ever have to run through the airport, navigate baggage drop-off, security lines, and various terminals and gates? These are the times, the moments that steal the anticipatory joy of going away. You start to feel the pressures of the long lines, navigating if you need to take an inter-terminal train or the long walks to get to your gate. You know exactly what I mean if you are in a large airport like Atlanta’s Hartsfield International Airport, Houston’s George Bush InterContinental Airport, or London’s Heathrow Airport. Facing and racing through an unfamiliar airport and trying to figure out which gates in which terminal to drop bags off at and which ones do not accept bag drop-off can be nerve-racking.

I suspect, though, that for many people, the worst things about flying come down to two similar options – delays and canceled flights. The many examples above do not compare to the dreaded delayed or canceled flight!